The Ruler of Darkness

Book 2: Chapter 6

In the martial arts world, people who like to compare themselves to others and those interested in martial arts have always had a major topic of discussion.

For a long time, they had wanted to systematize the ranks of martial artists.

Much like grading tea or cloth quality.

To cut to the chase, these attempts failed.

Whether using the amount of internal energy as a standard,

Or using the moment one can project their energy externally,

Or even using combat ability as the standard,

All had problems being considered as the sole criterion.

Combat ability was perhaps the most reasonable standard they considered.

But as mentioned earlier, the result was a failure.

This was because the outcome of combat was greatly influenced by individual compatibility.

Thus, the effort to differentiate the ranks failed, and only one criterion remained.

A wall.

All martial artists, as they grow, reach a point where their growth slows down and eventually encounter a ‘wall’.

Those who surpass this wall attain strength as if they’ve become an entirely different person and find potential for growth again.

Consequently, people naturally started referring to those who surpassed this wall as ‘masters’.

* * *

Se-ah’s escort, Gyu, had a gut feeling of defeat the moment she saw Geumju.

Unlike herself, who had barely approached the wall, the strength Geumju displayed was clearly that of a ‘master’ who had surpassed the wall.

“Still, I have my pride. I won’t be defeated that easily.”

Above all, she had to protect the young lady.

She was an escort, after all.

“First Sword, Ready Stance.”

Her family’s swordsmanship taught that taking a ready stance was as important as the first strike.

It signified a complete shift into a combat mode, both mentally and physically.

In an instant, Gyu’s aura changed.

In her intense focus, she saw Geumju charging like a flash.

‘Watch…’

What saved Gyu was her intuition, honed from countless real-life combats.

‘…out!’

Instinctively, she employed footwork, dodging the lightning-fast Geumju who pierced the spot she just vacated.

‘Damn it!’

Though she avoided a direct hit, the shockwave from Geumju’s strike was massive, hitting Gyu hard.

Utilizing the secrets of her clan’s footwork, she let herself go with the flow of the shockwave.

She quickly judged.

Geumju’s first attack was overwhelmingly powerful. The chances of a second strike following immediately were slim.

However, she immediately prepared the most potent defense she knew.

“Fourth Sword, Mist.”

It was a technique to suppress and block the opponent’s field of view.

And once again, her intuition proved correct.

The subsequent attacks from Geumju were blocked by her ‘Fourth Sword, Mist’.

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“Ugh!”

It was a defense where she poured all her energy.

But the two strikes from Geumju twisted Gyu’s wrist and shoulder with a staggering force.

Being pushed into a wall due to the effects of her footwork and the attacks also had its impact.

Yet…

“Huh?”

She had bought time.

Emerging from the dust, Geumju brandished her crimson palace’s spear.

“That’s how it is?”

As Gyu deduced, due to Geumju’s arrogant nature, the woman wouldn’t be satisfied without a bit of banter.

But Gyu acted against her judgment once more.

“Second Sword, Raging Stream.”

A technique that disrupts the rhythm of the opponent’s attack and counters, blending offense and defense.

‘Damn it, blending offense and defense?’

Avoiding the strike Geumju launched while pretending to chat was her limit.

No, even evading it was an impressive feat.

It was because the strike was unpredictable and bizarre.

“Oh, you’re pretty good, aren’t you?” Geumju exclaimed, brushing off her wrist.

‘Bare-handed?’

Gyu was puzzled.

She thought it might be a whip or something similar.

Otherwise, the unpredictable trajectory was inexplicable.

How could a human arm, with joints, move like that?

“Hey, when someone praises you, you should be thankful. Such an ill-mannered b*tch.”

Of course, Gyu, who returned to her ready stance, did not reply.

‘I wanted to strike up a conversation and buy some time.’

However, facing an opponent whose superiority was clear, maintaining a conversation might disrupt one’s focus, making the next moment potentially lethal.

‘The problem is…’

Whether I converse or not, my limits are steadily approaching.

My mistake is continuously using an internal energy technique, which consumes a great amount of energy.

“You’re not answering?”

I couldn’t predict the trajectory of this attack either. Yet, I managed to block the eerily twisted incoming attack due to elemental compatibility.

It was the result of the combined intuition of a dual-sword style and my heightened senses.

“Answer me.”

Once again.

‘Damn it…’

Originally, battles were to be fought through the harmony of internal skills and external skills.

However, the difference in skill level with her opponent inevitably forced her to use continuous internal attacks.

The continuous use of internal attacks was doubling the depletion of her energy.

‘How many more times can I endure?’

She had already lost sensation in her wrists, and her shoulders and waist felt like they were about to break.

Her energy was depleted.

“Alright, good. Try to block this attack too.”

“……!”

A murderous intent seemed to pierce through her body.

But this time, the attack had no visible trajectory at all.

‘Sword technique, continuous……!’

Her energy wouldn’t connect.

The excessive use of continuous internal attacks had overloaded her blood vessels.

“Kyaak-!”

But there was no impact on Gyu’s body.

A scream that was neither Gyu’s nor Geumju’s rang out.

The girl who had blocked Geumju’s strike that had flown towards Gyu’s back rolled several times on the ground, then sprang up.

She waved her fist at Kyu.

She was an extraordinary beauty.

“You waited a long time, right? Reinforcements are here!”

“You insect-like wench!”

“Agent, be careful……!”

Geumju’s next strike was blocked by another person.

“Ouch……!”

It was a man with a bear-like physique.

He grimaced and said, “This is an incredible opponent. I’m not sure if we can make it out alive.”

The girl clenched her fist.

“If we join forces, we can win!”

Thanks to them buying time, Gyu, who had managed to control the overload of her blood vessels, joined them.

“Are there no more reinforcements for us?”

At Gyu’s determined words, the girl looked downcast.

“For now, we are all there is.”

Gyu clicked her tongue briefly.

“We have no choice then.”

Geumju sneered at them.

She clapped her hands at them.

“If you’re done discussing, come and attack me all together, you insects.”

* * *

Se-ah had managed to send reinforcements to Gyu by taking refuge next to the field commander.

“……Is there no one else in the martial arts world who can support us right away?”

“It’s impossible at the moment.”

Se-ah’s face was dark.

“3rd unit and 10th unit, retreat due to heavy casualties!”

Se-ah’s expression darkened.

“The 3rd unit and the 10th unit have suffered significant losses and are retreating!”

“The 17th unit is requesting support!”

Right after Geumju appeared on the front line, for some reason, the morale of the Black Bone faction surged inexplicably.

“Guaaah!”

A man, who had been nothing more than a thug, charged forward even as he was pierced by a sword, swinging his axe wildly.

Whether the man ahead of him died or not, whether he himself would die or not, he kept charging. The madness they exhibited went beyond mere fighting spirit; it was outright frenzy.

“Gah!”

Just then, Se-ah saw a large martial artist, who had been confronting Geumju, sent flying.

One of his arms was missing, and his body was in tatters.

“This can’t be!”

Before Se-ah’s scream could end, a beautiful girl was also flung away.

“Kyaak!”

Fortunately, her injuries didn’t look severe, but she seemed to have taken a blow to the head. Her face was pale, and blood dripped from her mouth.

The only one left was Gyu, who was covered in wounds.

Without even an inch of retreat, she raised her sword to block Geumju.

Even from a distance, it was clear to see how terribly her sword trembled.

“Gyu, run!”

In the midst of the chaos, there was no way Gyu could have heard Se-ah’s voice.

Gyu looked precisely in the direction where Se-ah stood.

As if she wanted to imprint Se-ah’s image in her eyes for the last time.

“Master…”

Geumju, standing before Gyu, raised his hand, and energy began to visibly accumulate there.

Then, darkness enveloped them.

Se-ah felt her breath, which was white in the cold, become even colder.

She sensed the direction of the wind change.

The sweat on her back felt like it was freezing.

She gazed in the direction from which the wind came, as if entranced.

And she wasn’t the only one.

The field commander next to her, who was relaying orders, and his lieutenants, all stopped in their tracks and looked in the same direction.

The members of the Black Bone faction, who had been charging madly, the combat agents of the Hyunwolgak faction, who were about to swing their swords, everyone froze.

Even Geumju, who was concentrating his energy in his hand, Gyu, who was preparing for the end, and the martial artists who were trying to get up,

Everyone went silent.

Everyone looked in one direction.

Towards the west.

The red sun quickly hid its form beyond the distant mountains.

The shadows stretched endlessly, merging with the profound darkness.

Amidst that melancholic scenery, tall buildings barely held onto the twilight’s glow.

On the roof of the tallest tower, ‘darkness’ slowly raised its head.

Those who witnessed this sight felt chills run down their spines.

Even the one with the strongest spirit in that place trembled in fear, and the most optimistic among them felt despair.

‘…Night.’

Se-ah unconsciously felt it.

‘Night has come.’

The darkest, coldest, most cruel night had come upon them.

The darkness on the roof flapped as if spreading its wings.

The darkness was deeper and darker than anything else.

It was the complete absence of light.

When it swept once, night covered the streets.

Like the momentum of a ferocious beast, the curtain of darkness spread in all directions.

The setting sun, as if being chased, completely concealed itself.

But there was neither moonlight nor starlight in that place.

Every space was filled with darkness flowing thickly.

The darkness pouring out like a flood from the banks enveloped those who watched and passed by.

‘…A white mask.’

That pitch-black darkness wore a face that mocked the world.

Only that white mask, ridiculing the powerless sky and the villains unafraid of it, shone desperately.

He looked down upon everyone.

“Have you been waiting for me?”

His voice, hot as molten iron, was at first not even heard as a voice.

That eerie sound burrowed into ears, pierced eardrums, and when it reached the brain, it took on meaning.

Everyone there heard that voice.

Se-ah, trembling all over, couldn’t tear her eyes away from him.

‘That…that thing is…’

A grim reaper with a white face,

A monster of ages past, true master of the Dark Heavens Scripture,

The Sovereign of Dark Heavens fully revealed his form.